Over 21,000 citizens brought home from 50 countries, territories

Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – More than 80 flights have been operated so far, bringing home safely more than 21,000 Vietnamese citizens from some 50 countries and territories, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang has said.

She unveiled the figures while answering questions regarding Vietnam’s plan to fly home its citizens abroad in the context of new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases in the country, during the ministry’s regular press conference on August 6.

The flights were arranged under the Prime Minister’s instructions, and with the highest determination of competent agencies at home, as well as Vietnam’s representative offices abroad, the spokesperson said.

Hang emphasised that the repatriation of Vietnamese citizens in extremely difficult circumstances will be conducted in accordance with their wish and domestic quarantine capacity.

Citing sources of the Overseas Labour Management under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the spokesperson said 226 Vietnamese are working in Uzbekistan under a labour provision contract between a domestic company and the China Petroleum Jili Chemical Engineering and Construction Co. Ltd (JCC).

Due to COVID-19, the workers have stopped working and are self-quarantined at their accommodations, Hang said, adding that local authorities confirmed some of them had tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, which also is in charge of Uzbekistan, to contact the workers to get updated on their conditions, and talk to concerned companies and local authorities to ask for necessary measures to take care of the health of the workers.

Vietnamese competent agencies and the embassy are coordinating closely with local authorities to build a plan to bring home the citizens as soon as possible, scheduled for this month.